Railway-track structure.



Patented Aug. 7, I900.

H. B. NICHOLS.

RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE.

(Application filed May 1, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 655,349. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

H..B. NICHOLS.

RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE.

( pplication filed m 1 2 Sheats-Sheet 2 ("0 Model.)

NI TE D STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY B. NICHOLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK S TRUCTU R E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,349, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed May 1,1900. Serial No. 15.057. mamas.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to an improvement in railway-track structures, such as frogs, switches, and crossings; and in such connection it relates more particularly to the construction and arrangement of such a structurc.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a frog, switch, crossing, or other track structure wherein the hardened plate or block, forming a continuation of the bearingsurfaces of the crossing-rails, is adapted to be supported and secured in the casting looking the rails together by a soft-metal filling, which serves not only as a cushion or support for the hardened plate in the casting, but also as the sole means for locking said plate in its required position in said casting.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a track structure constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure l is a top or plan view of a railwaycrossing embodying main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line as a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the method of forming or casting the cast section to the rails; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the core or chill illustrated in Fig. 4:.

In the drawings the improvement is illustrated as applied to a track-crossing; but it is to be understood that with suitable changes readily suggestible to the skilled mechanic sections a, a, a and a do not abut, but approach each other to form a substantially-rec tangular opening in which a hardened-steel block or crossing-piece bis adapted to be inserted to form a continuation of the bearing surfaces of the various rail-sections. The manner in which this block or piece I) is secured in place forms the main feature of the present invention.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the railsections when properly placed form an opening d, in which is placed first the hardened plate 5, which is elevated above the lower or hearing faces of the rails a a, &c., by means of blocks or chips 6. Into the upper portion of the opening d is then placed a core or chill f, the contour or shape of which is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 5, and in general terms the core or chill consists of aplate or base f, from which depend successive pyramidalshaped blocks in the form of tapered steplike projections f and f From the under face of the piece 12 extends a dovetail projection I), which is by preference provided with one or more hooks 19 In assembling the mold together prior to the pouring of the cast metal the rail-sections are up-ended and the core or chill f, block or piece I), and the Wedges e inserted, as illustrated in Fig. 4. A clay core g is now placed between the under side of the piece b, toward the projection f of the core f, and this core g surrounds the hook b and projection b on the piece I) and forms also a continuation of the pyramidal projection f of the core f. This clay core g is preferably baked directly upon the piece I) and the hook 19 prior to the insertion of the metal core f. The cast metal is then poured into the opening cl remaining and forms the cast section h, uniting the four rail-sections together. The metal core f and clay core 9 are now removed and the piece I) elevated to come flush with the bearing-face of the rails. The piece I) when thus elevated is adjusted to position and held properly elevated by means of the chips or blocks is. (See Fig. 2.) In this position of the block or piece I) there will be formed between the sides, base, and dovetailed projection 12' and the cast-metal section 71., adjacent to these parts, a space which gradually tapers or widens downward from the upper or bearing face of the block b to the base of the dovetail b. WVhen properly centered, the piece 12 is held to position by a clamp an, (illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) and the crossing is then up-ended and the face of the block b and surrounding parts are all highly heated. When in this heated condition, soft metal, such as zinc, is poured into the tapering space and, setting in said space,forms not onlya cushion or seat n, upon which the block b rests, but also a locking wedge like connection n, inserted between the dovetail b and the adjacent portions of the cast section 72.. When the block b and adjacent parts cool, the whole structure shrinks down upon the soft-metal cushion'or seat 02 and wedge-like connection n, thus firmly securing the block bin the cast section it of the structure. The clamp m can thereafter be disconnected from the structure.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A railway-track structure, comprising railsections permanently secured together by a cast-metal section having an opening at the center or crossing-point of therail-sections extending entirely through the cast-metal section, a hard-metal plate provided on its lower face with a dovetail projection adapted to fit into the opening in the cast-metal section below the seat of the plate in the castmetal section, the upper face of said plate forming a continuation of the rail-sections, and a soft-metal lining interposed between the dovetail projection of the plate and the adjacent parts of the cast section into which said projection is inserted, and said lining forming the means for securing the plate in the opening of the cast section, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. NICHOLS. 

